BURN CRASH • LRH

10. you don't go to parties.

YOU DON'T GO TO PARTIES.

Aurora Sanchez was never one for partying.

Being so close to people in such a vulnerable state intimidated her, she never wanted anyone to know more about her than they should, being wasted and high on the energy surging through the floor could help her secrets slip out, she wants to tell them to someone, anyone. But bothering her friends with her problems is not ideal.

The poor girl's hands tremble a little as she twirls her soft hair around the curling iron, the gnawing pit in her stomach, twisting and turning in such an uncomfortable way it almost makes her knees weak. She can't give a solid reason as to why the nerves in her body are going haywire, this isn't a first date, why can't she relax?

It's nothing she hasn't done before, going to a party, getting drunk, maybe, it's Luke, is he subconsciously making her nervous? Somewhere deep in the back of her mind, so deep she can barely find it, her thoughts want a repeat of what happened the night they first met.

She never wants to admit it to herself because the two swore off doing it again, so those thoughts about him she's tried to bury so far in the back of her brain.

But, with the way she's curling her hair and spraying the same perfume on her neck, the flashbacks come rushing in like a river, unable to stop them if she tried, oh fuck, how will I make it through tonight?

The tailored black silk dress that hangs in the closet stares back at her, the small gems that line the top of the dress sparkle in the dim light, she thinks of how pretty they'll look in the brighter lights of the party.

Once the dress is slipped onto her body, the nerves intensify, like she had swallowed a brick and it's settling in the pits of her stomach, she has seen what the dress looks like on her body once before, something is gnawing at her about Luke seeing her in it.

It's driving her insane, she knows he's had to have been with countless models like himself, who could make this dress look far more beautiful than herself, but, she tries to bury any negativity rushing through her body as her delicate fingers work the strap of her heels.

Just as she fastens the last strap, someone on the other side of the door pushes the doorbell to her small apartment, shit, I've run out of time. One last look in the mirror, two more negative thoughts run race through her mind, and three twirls to make sure everything is perfectly in place.

When Aurora's hands finally twist the doorknob, she's met with a sight she can only describe as ethereal. Her mind goes blank, but more than enough words to say all at once, she's never seen someone so perfect, especially not standing just ten inches in front of her, so close.

The gold glitter that covers his eyelids glimmers as more light shines on his face, her eyes want to count each gold speck, just so she can stare at his features for as long as her feet will hold her upright.

He paired his gold glitter with a light yellow silk shirt, it almost looks as if it's melting into his pale skin, it stretches perfectly over his broad freckled shoulders, and he didn't bother buttoning many of the buttons, leaving four undone to expose the soft of his chest, somewhere in his head he knew he did it to tease, he wanted to watch her dark eyes struggle to keep on his own.

As if the silk shirt alone wasn't enough teasing, he added a long chain that trails down past the buttons on his shirt, daring her fingers to trace and tug on the necklace to pull him close

"Hi, pretty girl," Luke says after a moment, his voice low and rough, a hint of nerves wracking the back of his throat. His blue eyes dare to trail down her body, he's never seen someone so beautiful, so, soft, delicate. He wants to stand here and stare for a lifetime, burn every picture of her in his mind until he memorizes every inch, no one in the world could make the dress she's wearing look as pretty.